Japan’s Nikkei share average struggled for direction on Wednesday, while the broader Topix dipped after poor U.S. economic data stoked global recession fears and soured investor sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei average was little changed at 20,631.14 by the midday break, while the broader Topix fell 0.3% to 1,506.17.

Overall sentiment remained subdued amid growing worries about a global recession. U.S. manufacturing activity contracted for the first time in three years in August, with new orders and hiring declining sharply as trade tensions weighed on business confidence, data showed Tuesday.

Source: reuters